Secrets Lives
by Dannylionthe1st
Summary: Brandt's life was prefect. He's an active agent with a girlfriend who led a simple life and never questioned him. He's called away to a dangerous mission, only to find she's in town. Can that be a coincidence, or is someone playing with him, or is there something else at play? Maybe he shouldn't have started dating in the first place.
1. Not Safe

**A/N: So, this story has been in my mind since January. I only just decided to write it after I figured out a few key elements. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

~SL~

Scott Redford unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside. The instant he was inside he knew he had made a mistake. From his limited angle, everything looked perfect. All he could see was part of the living room, but nothing was amiss. But he could feel that something was wrong. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to walk away. But he couldn't.

"Babe, I'm home," he shouted as he closed the door behind him and put his keys into the little keybowl. He set his briefcase down next to the table and chills ran down his spine. His wife's keys were in the bowl. "You won't believe the day I had," he shouted as he gently opened the draw under the table and searched for his hidden weapon. It was still there. He took it out and silently took out the clip. "Freaking Dan and his love for sucking up. Nearly got fired because of that bastard."

He put the clip back into the gun and turned the safety off. Quietly he placed himself against the wall and peaked out into the living room that was to his left. There were only three rooms there; the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. To his right was their bedroom, the bathroom, his computer room and the single guest bedroom.

"Babe?" he yelled as he threw himself into the living room, gun ready to fire. There was no one. He quickly rushed into the open kitchen. The food that she had been cooking sat on the stove. It wasn't burned, which surprised him. "Sweetheart? You know how I hate surprises," he yelled as he slowly made his way to his bedroom. His heart pounded in his chest.

Quickly, he opened his computer room. Nothing. "Babe?" He checked the guest room then the bathroom. Slowly, he opened his bedroom door. He knew what to expect, and dreaded it. After all this time they…

"Julie," he whispered when he spotted his wife. She sat on their bed, wearing her sexy lingerie. It was their anniversary after all. Twenty-six years together. Her head lay on top of her chest, her hair covering her face. Her hands weren't tied, but hung limp beside her. His heart pounded in his chest.

He grounded his teeth, but forced his body not to run to her side. There was still the possibility that someone was in the room with them. He shut the door behind him and went to his closet. His hands were steady despite his emotions. He swung the door opened, preparing to shoot any intruder, but saw no one.

He turned to face his dead wife and her chest moved ever so slightly. She was alive!

"Julie!" he shouted as he jumped on the bed and grabbed her. That was his mistake. Her head flopped to one side and she looked up at him with terror in her eyes. Her mouth had been sowed shut and three peacock feathers were placed in her brassiere. "Shit," he whispered when he saw the wires attached to her arms.

He hugged her tightly and closed his eyes. So, this was how he died. He had never expected to live as long as he had. Still, he was glad that he died with her in his arms. The bed exploded, covering both of them in flames, killing them instantly.

~SL~

Laurence O'Connor mindlessly tapped on the keys on his keyboard. There wasn't much else to do but wait for the results of his test. Normally, he would have been excited. But it had been years and the results had always been the same. Negative.

He was in his late sixties, although he looked to be in his fifties. His hair was a pepper color, turning more white than black. He was tall and skinny, despite repeated attempts at adding more muscle to his frame. He had finally given up on that endeavor.

The computer beep, and he minimized his current window. His eyes widened with surprise and he leaned back in his chair, covering his face with one hand as he shook his head. He let out a holler of joy as he raised his hands over his head. He had found it. He had found what he wanted. Tears of joy threatened to stream down his face.

-Ring- His phone startled him, causing him to jump in surprise.

"Shit," he hissed as he grabbed it. "Hello?"

"Did you figure it out, Dr. O'Connor?" an unfamiliar female voice asked.

"Who is this?"

"You should watch the local news," the female continued, then the phone went dead.

He frowned as he opened the web browser and searched the local news channel. A female reporter spoke. Behind her was an apartment building. Part of it was on fire. His volume was off, making it impossible for him to hear what was going on. The caption under the report said "Possible bombing." He leaned over to turn on the volume then stopped when two pictures appeared next to the reporter. His body stilled. He knew those two.

"Oh shit!" he whispered in horror. He looked down at the phone then threw it into the wall, breaking it into many pieces. It had been a hint from the caller. He knew those two, former assassins, having finally retired. They were the best. I.M.F. had been searching for them for years. But they had successfully disappeared. The caller's message was clear. He wasn't safe. I.M.F, who he was working for, who was supposed to be protecting him, could not protect him. This woman, or whoever she worked for, had found these assassins and had killed them. I.M.F. hadn't even found them. She had called him, which meant that I.M.F. couldn't protect him.

He took out a USB and plugged it into the computer. "Sorry boys," he whispered to no one. He did feel bad. He had promised I.M.F. that he would share his research with them, and he had, but only for their protection. And now he knew that he was no longer protected. He didn't have time to tell them and wait for what they were going to do.

He quickly closed his laptop and placed it into his bag. He slung the bag over his shoulder and casually walked out of his office and headed toward the exit. He was good at pretending and nodded courteously at the people he knew. He couldn't act nervous. That would tip anyone off.

Finally, he spotted the exit. The view of the night sky outside of the window was a welcoming sight.

"Dr. O'Conner," Benji Dunn shouted.

"Shit," Laurence whispered to himself, but forced a smile to cross his face. "Evening, Benji," he said as politely as he could muster.

Benji didn't notice the doctor's nervousness as he rushed toward the older man. "I've been meaning to talk to you," he said. "I just got back yesterday. I have some free time and was hoping we could get a cup of coffee? I've been very intrigued about your work and hope…"

"I'm sorry Mr. Dunn," Laurence cut him off. "I'm a little bit in a hurry. Why don't we talk about this tomorrow? It is two in the morning."

Benji looked at his watch in surprise. "Right," he said, nodding his head. "I will find you later."

Laurence forced a smile before he walked out of the building. He was barely walking into the parking lot when he heard the alarms go off. He let out a small curse, before jogging to his car. It had started ahead of time. It shouldn't have. Still, he had time to leave before they found out that it really was sabotage. He pulled out another cellphone and dialed a number.

"It's time, Athena," he said, then he hung up.

He stepped into his car and looked at the I.M.F. building one last time before starting it. It was too bad. He had hoped that they would keep him safe. Now he was on the run again, and he added yet another group who would be chasing after him.

~SL~

"Message_,_" shouted a cellphone. "I said you got a message, bitch._"_

William Brandt grumbled as he leaned across his bed, allowing his hand to roam the nightstand on the other side. He finally found the phone and clicked one of the buttons before lying back down. He moaned as he leaned over and blinked, trying to read his alarm clock. It was three in the morning. He let out a loud sigh as he looked up at the ceiling. His room was hot and most of the sheet was around his waist. He had no shirt on, but then again he was sleeping in his bed at his apartment.

Will rubbed his eyes before he looked at the phone. It wasn't his. In fact, it belonged to his current thirty-two year old girlfriend, Michelle Bradly. He looked around and frowned. He was sure that she had gone to bed with him only a few hours prior. But now he was alone.

He placed his feet on the floor and stood up. Her clothes were littered about his room, which meant that she was still in his apartment somewhere. His body ached, protesting as he stood up. He had finally gotten to relax. But now that he was awake he was curious as to why she wasn't in bed with him. He headed out of his room and to his kitchen.

"Ouch," he hissed as he stepped on one of her shoes. He picked up the pair of shoes that were on the ground and shook his head. He had been back from his mission for three days. Unfortunately, for the both of them, they had been unable to get together until that night. The last two nights she had been busy grading winter finale papers.

The smell of bacon and waffles hit him as he entered his kitchen. She was dressed only in one of her long shirts and he could see the pink underwear she had underneath. She didn't wear a bra, but she didn't need to. Her brown hair was tied up into a messy ponytail.

"Oh," she exclaimed in surprise when she saw him. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

He placed her shoes beside the counter then wrapped his arms around her waist as he let out a sigh. "Sort of," he breathed into her hair.

She put the pan down and turned to kiss him. "Sorry," she murmured. "Couldn't sleep."

"So you decided to make breakfast at three in the morning?" he asked her as he let her go. He opened one of the cabinets and took out a glass. He filled it with water and took a long drink. He set his glass into the sink and cleaned it.

"Want some?" she asked him.

"It's bad to sleep on a full stomach."

"I promise not to tell your mommy if you don't tell mine," she teased.

He laughed as he took out two plates and placed them on the counter. She took that as a yes and placed more bacon into the pan, and put the last of the batter into the waffle maker.

Will watched as she finished preparing the meal. They had lasted far longer than he had imagined. Considering he was now an active agent.

It had been nearly four months since they started dating. This was the longest relationship he had had while being an active agent for I.M.F. His job was a secret and he traveled a lot, making it difficult to sustain a relationship. For the brief period when he was just an analyst he was able to have a long relationship. But as soon as he became an active agent again his girlfriend couldn't stand the distance, the secrets.

So he found himself alone again. He hadn't anticipated on having a long relationship with Michelle. It had been a random and chance encounter. He had seen her at a bar and the two of them started talking. They had a few things in common. But most important, for that night, both wanted company.

He learned quickly that she was much like him. The only family she had was her father, but she had long ago cut ties with him. He wasn't sure why, and each time he broached the topic she shut down. He was tempted to use I.M.F.'s resources to answer some of the questions that he had. But then he convinced himself not to. Most importantly, that was a breach of protocol and finally, he had his secrets so she was allowed to have hers. He was sure she would tell him when she was ready.

The fact that they had been dating for almost four months surprised him still. He had waited for that call. The one where the woman would leave a voicemail telling him that he would have to tell her the truth or else she would leave him. And since he had no real feelings toward them then he would let them go. But she had yet to seriously question what he did.

"What do you think about Costa Rica?" he blurted as she evenly distributed the bacon.

"What?"

"For vacation. I have some time coming up and you said you love to travel. Why don't we go to Costa Rica for Christmas?" He frowned as she opened the refrigerator, clearly not willing to look at him.

"In such short notice?" she asked curiously. She turned and looked at him.

He shrugged and hugged her, pulling her closer to his body. "Let's be spontaneous," he said, looking into her green eyes. "You are on winter break now, aren't you?"

She nodded. She was a high school English teacher. He had asked her why she became a teacher. And other than the obvious, to help children learn, she added that she saw it as an adventure, and so her life was never boring. He had to chuckle at that inwardly. He couldn't help but wonder what she would think of his life if she knew what he did.

She pulled away and placed the food in front of him then looked him in the eye.

"Just you and me?"

He nodded.

"Hmmm," she said as she sat down. Then she grabbed his hand. "You have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"No work. I don't want to be enjoying a nice day on the beach in the middle of our vacation only to have you tell me that you have to go. Leaving me all alone for the rest of however long we have left." He could hear the distress in her voice as she pictured the scenario happening.

He squeezed her hands then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. "I promise," he said. "No cellphones. No work."

She let out a yelp in happiness as she hugged him. "I've never been to Costa Rica for fun," she exclaimed. "I have to go shopping. When are we going?"

He opened his mouth to answer her when he remembered her phone. "You have an interesting message for when you get a message on your phone," he teased.

She looked at him in confusion.

"Do you let the kids in your class hear that? It's what woke me up. Sorry, I left the phone in the room."

She frowned. "At three in the morning?" she asked as she headed toward the bedroom.

He picked up his fork and took out a piece of bacon from her plate. He smiled mischievously as he ate it. He couldn't wait for her to get back and argue with him about it. A loud sharp knock at his door made him frown. He opened his top cabinet and pulled out a gun. He held it to his side and placed himself against the wall next to the door.

"Yes?"

"Special delivery," a woman shouted.

Cautiously, he opened the door. He recognized the woman, who held a package, as an I.M.F. agent. She reached out and he shook his head.

"Not today," he told her.

"You have to take it," she told him.

He rubbed his face in frustration before he grabbed the package. "Thanks," he muttered, before he closed the door. He heard the door to his bathroom close and let out a sigh as he opened the package.

Despite the size, it only held a cellphone. He turned it on and the screen scanned his eye before it automatically dialed. He placed it next to his ear and listened.

"Morning, Mr. Brandt," the automatic message began. "Your mission, should you chose to accept it." He snorted at those last words. The words were just a formality. To make them think that they had a choice. It wasn't as if any of the agents would be able to say no. Ethan Hunt was one of the top agents and had, for a short while, "retired". Only to come back again due to the nation's calling. Brandt was no different.

He half listened to the message, knowing that more would be explained when he met up with the rest of the team. He took in a deep breath then let it out. What was he going to say to Michelle? He had just gotten back, and usually he was given a week or two of vacation after a mission. It had been three days. He couldn't help but wonder how much more she would be able to take.

"This message will self-destruct in five seconds," it ended. He opened a drawer and tossed the phone into a box before closing it.

He scratched his head before he made his way back to his room. He passed by his bathroom and noticed Michelle. She sat on the toilet with the phone on the counter. Her right hand rubbed the bridge of her nose and she took in a deep breath. She looked up at him and wiped her face. "Sorry," she whispered. She had been crying.

"What happened?" he asked in concern.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said.

He rushed over to her and forced her to look at him. "I'm here," he told her as he rubbed her cheeks.

She grabbed his hands then hugged him. "How about tonight?" she asked.

"What?"

"Tonight," she said. "Let's find some plane tickets and just go to Costa Rica."

Immediately, he tensed.

She felt it and pulled away. "You can't go," she said.

"I…"

She sighed and pulled away. "It's alright, Will," she said. "I guess… I shouldn't run away. That was my grandmother."

"You're grandmother?" he asked with a frown.

"Well," she said, shaking her head. "Not exactly. One of her people. Said there's a family reunion soon and she wanted me there." She sighed.

"And that's such a bad thing? That made you cry?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

She chuckled, nodding her head. "You don't know my family." She let a small smile cross her lips as she looked at him. "You would cry too if she had called you. She knows how to make a person feel like shit. She might as well be a dragon. I swear to God she can breathe fire."

He opened his mouth. "Saying you need a knight by your side?" he teased.

She chuckled and placed her head on his chest, before she sighed. "Let's go to bed," she finally said, grabbing his hand she lead him back to his bed.

"Where is your family reunion?" He asked as the two laid down.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't bother asking." She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer. "Let's not talk about them, please?"

He wrapped one arm around her and stared up at the ceiling. "If I could, would you want me to go with you?"

"Yes," she said then moaned, snuggling even closer to him. "But you'll be busy. And I doubt you'll be wherever I am. But…" she yawned. "If you are free then email me or something."

Soon she was asleep. He was amazed by how quickly she could sleep despite being upset. Suddenly, he remembered about the food she had made. He hated leaving a messy kitchen, but now that her arms were wrapped around him he didn't want to wake her. Oh well, he would have to leave it for when they wake up for their day.


	2. The Mission

**A/N: Wow. So glad there is interest. Hope you guys continue to enjoy. **

* * *

Will stared at the tablet in front of him, but his eyes didn't register the words that were on it. He had to admit, he was a little upset at having been called in so early. Benji paced back and forth, muttering to himself, while Jane typed on her laptop. The only person missing was Ethan Hunt.

Will looked up at the clock and frowned. It was unlike Ethan to be late to anything. The man loved time and was always punctual. It was almost a requirement for their job. They had to do everything right and on time.

The door opened, causing all three agents to stand up. Ethan walked in with another woman.

"Agent Holts," Ethan said. "This is my team, Agents Jane Carter, Benji Dunn, and William Brandt. This is Agent Minnie Holts."

"Pleasure," Benji said as he reached out and shook the woman's hand. She appeared to be in her late forties, with blonde hair that was tied up in a bun.

"Agent," Jane said, shaking the woman's hand.

"Please, it's just Minnie or Holts," the woman said with a smile. She shook Will's hand last before looking to Ethan.

"Holts will be joining us on our mission," Ethan stated.

The woman nodded.

"No offense, Agent Holts," Jane said as she took a step back. "But we do just well as the four of us."

Ethan nodded his head, and opened his mouth but Minnie spoke instead.

"This case is personal, Agent Carter," she said. "Just relaying the information that I know will be of no use. I was the man's case agent. I know him better than most."

"But you didn't see this coming," Will pointed out.

Minnie looked at him and for a brief second he saw a small smirk. Or was that going to be a snear? Then her eyes narrowed. "If I had known then I wouldn't have let him escape," she snapped.

Ethan quickly stepped up. "Enough," he stated. He didn't care for arguing. "Holts is going to be joining us for this mission. We need her information." He turned to her. "Would you like to explain?"

She nodded as the four sat down. She picked up a clicker and pointed at the screen. "Dr. Laurence O'Connor," she said. "Sought out I.M.F. He requested protection and in exchange he offered full cooperation with his latest project. We accepted."

Will widened the doc's profile that was on the tablet in front of him. Beside him, he noticed Benji shaking his head. "What was he working on?" Will asked.

"Nanites," Benji answered for Minnie, shaking his head. "I should have seen it," he grumbled to himself.

"It's not your fault, Benji," Ethan said, trying to comfort the man. Will frowned. He wasn't sure what was going on.

Benji sighed. "But I was the last person to actually talk to him. He walked past me and I should have seen that he was nervous. I was just so excited. He had just been reassigned and started working at the headquarters."

Will raised his eyebrows. "Nanites?" He was trying to get them back on track. He felt sorry for Benji and would talk to the man later, but for now they had a mission. The sooner they completed it the sooner he would be back.

Benji suddenly grew excited. "He was working on trying to get the nanites into the human body and not get rejected. He said once he completed that then there could be an infinite amount of uses, from acting as the body's immune system to enhancing physical attributes. Can you imagine?"

Will shook his head. It sounded too far fetch and much to science fiction for his tastes. "Any chance he was just using our resources just to get the results he wanted and then leave?" The random thought had entered his head.

Benji looked horrified. Minnie shook her head. "He had less restriction and his own private lab before he came to I.M.F. Although never confirmed, it was believed that he used unwilling test subjects."

"And we just let this man work for us?" Will asked, shaking his head. The things governments did to get ahead in advancements.

"It was never confirmed," Ethan said, but it was clear he didn't much care for the poor choice that I.M.F. made.

"Why did he leave?" Jane Carter asked. "If he came to us looking for protection, why did he disappear?"

Minnie nodded. "We weren't entirely sure until we saw this report." She clicked again and they saw a muted clip of a local news story. Behind the woman was a burning apartment building. Then two pictures appeared next to the woman. "Meet Scott Redford, formally known as the assassin Zeus and his wife," she said. "We never found out her real name, but she usually went by the name Hera."

Benji snorted. "Zeus and Hera," he said, shaking his head.

"Thought to be the top assassins twenty-six years ago," Jane said with a frown. "They were popular for a time. Specializing in practically every type of dirty business they could get their hands on. Had quite a big group at the height of their venture," she said as she moved the pictures on her tablet, shaking her head. "Each of their assassins' code names were names of Greek gods."

Benji and Will looked surprised. Ethan and Minnie nodded their heads.

"Hold on," Benji said, holding up his hands. "Why haven't I heard of them? Assassins running around with Greek gods as code names? I would have known about it."

"They reached their peak, sixteen years ago," Ethan said. "In that year they were responsible for the death of two I.M.F. directors as well as several active agents. We're unsure as to why they targeted I.M.F. specifically. But they grew cocky. We found out about a plot to assassinate several foreign delegates and sent a team to stop them. Four of the six assassins were killed. Zeus and Hera were the only two to survive. After that it went downhill for them. They attempted to recruit more, giving them Roman god code names, but it wasn't the same. After another ten years both disappeared, and the group fell apart."

Will frowned. "How do we know they weren't still killing?" he asked. The fact that they had targeted and apparently assassinated several members of I.M.F. worried him. Why would these people, who apparently didn't mind killing, suddenly stop? He could hear it in Ethan's voice that the man assumed the assassins had dropped what they were doing and tried to be normal.

Minnie answered for Ethan. "They each had their calling cards, 'claiming' their victims, especially early on. They wanted people to know their names and fear or hire them. Hera placed peacock feathers on all her victims. Then, six years ago, no victim could be linked to them." She shrugged her shoulders. "For all we know, they stopped killing."

Will shook his head. It still didn't make sense to him. He frowned. "What does the death of the two assassins have to do with Dr. O'Connor?"

"He formerly worked for them," Minnie said. "When he came to us, we tried to get information about their whereabouts, but by that time he knew little. The two had secluded themselves and he had no knowledge of where they were."

"So he said," Will commented.

Minnie shook her head. "Trust me, Agent Brandt," she said. "The man knew little."

He didn't believe her, but decided not to contradict her. "So where would he go now? If they were his old contacts then where would he go now?" he asked. He could feel Benji nodding behind him. Something just wasn't right about the situation.

Minnie didn't immediately answer as she turned and pointed to the screen. "Corazon Vazquez." The image of a short, old woman, probably in her eighties appeared. She was walking into some sort of building, followed by two bodyguards. The images changed to show a younger version of her and much younger version of Dr. O'Connor. "We're unclear as to what their relationship was or is. There is no proof that she had any knowledge of his activities then and now. But until the incident, and death of some of his team members, the two were seen quite often together. She's been married to five different wealthy men, and they have all left her with a substantial amount of money." The pictures changed showing her with different political figures. "She is most likely the first person he will go to."

"Why her?" Will asked.

Minnie sighed. "Many reasons. But most importantly, everything under Mrs. Vazquez's roof is officially untouchable. If he is indeed in there then it's almost practically impossible for us to get him out. We're going to have to tap into her security system, which she keeps up-to-date. Find O'Connor, and escort him out without her security realizing it." The pictures changed showing her with different political figures.

Will frowned as he watched the pictures. Something wasn't right. They seemed to have so much information, but nothing of meaning. This man comes to them for help only to disappear some years later? If this woman was so powerful, why didn't he go to her before? He worked for a group who had killed several agents, yet he was allowed to work at the main headquarters? He opened his mouth to voice his concerns, but Minnie continued talking.

"Our mission starts and hopefully ends in Rome, Italy," she said. "Guillermo Borja," she changed the image to that of a man who was probably in his sixties. "Mrs. Vazquez's parties are by invitation only and strictly enforced. He is always invited to her parties, and always attends with a new woman."

"Great," Jane muttered. She knew exactly what she was going to have to do.

Minnie nodded her head. "The man loves pretty ladies. That's the easy part. He generally meets them the day before the event. He likes to go to this restaurant where he orders his dinner. He goes after any type of woman as long as she's tall, pretty, and wears glasses," she said. "We need to get a look at the invitation so that Ethan and I can enter as guests. Agent Dunn, you will have to be quick in making sure that the invitations look authentic. If we can't, then it'll only be you, Agent Carter and Agent Brandt, making our chances of finding the good doctor that much slimmer."

Will looked surprise. "How am I going to get inside?" he asked.

"Mister Russo will be unable to cater, but they were fortunate enough to find a replacement in short notice. A Mister Mancini."

Benji chuckled. "He's doesn't look Italian."

Minnie ignored his comment. "Once we're inside we can ascertain Dr. O'Connor's whereabouts. Agent Dunn, I will need you to hack into their system and hopefully bring him back with us. Your tablets will have your dossiers. I don't have to tell you to memorize them."

Will sighed. Just once he wished he could be the suave gentleman instead of the caterer. "So, when do you leave?" he asked.

* * *

Every now and again there were perks to being an agent. Today they were taking a private jet to Ecuador. It was nice being able to stretch out his feet and not be cramped. Minnie and Ethan were at the front of the plane, discussing their plan. Jane was catching up on some sleep, while Benji eagerly typed on his laptop. After find out that there were assassins who used Greek gods as code names, the man quickly dug up all the information that he could about them.

Tentatively, Will reached out and picked up the receiver that was in the arm of the chair. He didn't want to call her from the plane, instead wanted to use a disposable cellphone. But he couldn't help but wonder where she was going to go.

He waited as he listened to the ring.

"_Hello?"_ Michelle answered, sounding out of breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked with worry. Then then mentally cursed at himself. She was a jogger, and it was about that time that she finished jogging.

"_Yeah, why?"_ she panted.

"You sound out of breath," he pointed out. He felt stupid continuing the conversation.

"_Oh,"_she choked on a giggle. "_Yeah. I'm trying to catch my plane. Last second…"_

_"Ma'am, you need to turn off your cellphone when you're on the plane,"_a faint voice said to her.

"_I know," she replied. "I have to let you go. I'll send you the number to where I'm going to stay. Bye."_

"Bye," he said, but he wasn't quick enough. She had already hung up the phone. He sighed and leaned back. Oh well, he would talk to her later when there weren't other people around.

"Sixteen!" Benji said rather loudly next to Will.

Will looked at Benji in surprise as Benji held out a laptop.

"A sixteen year old girl!" Benji said again. The image on the screen was of a girl. It was difficult to tell what her age was. It appeared that she took a shotgun shot to the face. There was little left to distinguish facial features. She lay on her left side. The right side of her head was completely shaved, revealing a blurry tattoo that curled in a circle. Near her was a sniper rifle, and in one hand was a hand gun. It was unnecessarily vile and violent.

"Kael," Ethan said. The two looked up at him. They hadn't heard him walk over. "Called herself Artemis."

"What? Were grown women not enough they had to get children to help them?" Benji asked in disgust. He moved the laptop so that Ethan could see the picture as well.

Ethan stared at it for a moment. His eyes grew distant as if he were recalling a memory. "Her brother was a member of the team," he finally said. "She followed him."

Benji shook his head. "And their parents?" he asked. "Did they actually allow their children to… kill people?"

Ethan didn't say anything as he stared at the picture. There was a strange darkness in his gaze. Finally, he turned and walked back to Minnie, not saying anything else.

Benji frowned. "Think he did this?" he asked softly, more to himself than to Will.

Will blinked in surprise. The thought hadn't entered his mind. Ethan, kill a sixteen year old girl? He tried to mentally calculate Ethan's age. It was probably one of Ethan's first jobs, if he was involved. That would have devastated Will, killing a young teenager. Benji was right in being angry. Their parents allowed them to kill? Then again, maybe they didn't have parents. Maybe they were taken advantage of because of their young age. He wondered how old her brother was. He didn't know their situation, but if he had a sister, would he have allowed her to kill people? No, he wouldn't have been able to stomach that, no matter what situation they were in.

He let out a sigh. There was no point in thinking about it. What was done was done. He turned his attention back to his dossier.


	3. Plan Gone Awry

**A/N: I can't believe it's been so long. So sorry about that. I've been a little busy with work and trying to finish up a story that was far closer to being finished. Also, from the rate I was going this story would have ended in a couple of chapters. Yikes! To short. So I actually thought up some nice scenes for much later on allowing me to make it longer, and still be sensible. Hope you guys continue to enjoy. And I have a feeling that I'll be updating a little bit more often. Hopefully. XD**

~SL~

Ethan, Jane, Benji and Minnie watched the computer screens in front of them and waited anxiously. Everything was going as planned. They had arrived in Rome the day before, giving them plenty of time to set up surveillance at the restaurant, and prepare.

Will walked around the entire neighborhood, familiarizing himself with every possible root should things go bad. He made sure to enter a few stores, pretending to shop or be lost. He didn't want his wanderings to seem suspicious.

"_Brandt_," Benji's voice said through the earpiece. "_He should…"_ He didn't have to finish his sentence as Will spotted the dark car that stopped along the edge of the road.

"Day has just gotten brighter_,"_ Will said as he made his way back toward their control room. He only had to see the man step out of the car to confirm that it was Guillermo Borja.

It didn't take him long to get back to their temporary base. He stared at the screen. "Is he there yet?" he asked, almost too excited. If things kept up at their easy pace then he just might be able to join Michelle wherever she was.

"Not yet," Benji replied. "But the White Dove is waiting."

Will forced himself not to roll his eyes at the codename. He didn't much care for codenames, although he understood their purpose. They just sounded so strange to say and so easy to spot. "He's taking his time," he commented, spotting Guillermo who casually walked down the street.

The older man had a bodyguard next to him, but he didn't appear to notice. Two female tourists walked past him, causing him to stop and stare after them.

"No class," Will muttered, more to himself than to anyone. He hated when women weren't shown respect.

Guillermo finally tore his eyes off the girls and entered the restaurant he frequented.

Benji enlarged the four camera screens that showed the inside of the building.

Guillermo's eyes slowly scanned the customers. No wonder the man liked the restaurant. It was clear that it was frequented by the young single adults. Most of them looked to be in the university or fresh out of it. He didn't give any indication that he saw anyone he liked.

He found a table and sat down. His bodyguard stood behind him.

Minnie leaned forward. "He's not looking for anyone," she whispered.

"Give it time," Ethan said, knowingly.

"Jane, he's starting to look around. Make eye contact," Minnie said, clearly impatient.

Jane slowly set her book down and looked around finally resting her eyes on Guillermo before she looked back down.

"She's got him," Ethan said as he leaned back.

"How do you know?" Will asked, trying to figure out what Ethan had seen to make him believe that Jane had caught Guillermo's interest.

"He's still watching her," Minnie said. "Jane…" She stopped mid-sentence when Jane looked up and returned Guillermo's gaze. Jane cocked her head slightly and adjusted her glasses before looking back down at her book. "She's got him," Minnie stated.

~SL~

Jane forced herself to act natural. Barely a day in and she was already excited for their mission to be over. Minnie had not stopped questioning and offering advice to her. Jane was a field agent. She knew what she was doing. Yet Minnie talked to her as if she were still a trainee. She didn't respect Jane. What was even worse was that every single move that Minnie asked her to do was something she had already planned on doing. She didn't need anyone to dictate her moves to her.

She looked up once again at Guillermo. Out of everyone, the man only had his eyes on her. He smiled and winked at her. She forced a blush and looked back at her book. He was almost finished eating, and he hadn't come over to talk to her. She knew there was only one thing to do. She had to get up to leave and walk past him.

She motioned for the waiter, before giving Guillermo another glance and then smiling.

"Yes, ma'am," the waiter asked, trying his best with an American accent.

"My check please," she said softly.

The waiter nodded and disappeared in the back.

Jane got up and placed her purse on the table, pretending to prepare to leave. Out of the corner she saw Guillermo get to his feet. To her horror, she realized that that was a mistake. A waiter was moving behind him with a large tray of food in his hands. Normally, the man would have had no problem, had the occupants in the other table not stand as well. The waiter let out a yelp as quickly moved to dodge the people from the other table, nearly running into Guillermo. The bodyguard snarled as he shoved the waiter back, successfully protecting his employer.

The waiter let out a cry, trying to warn people to move away, but he was too late. He collapsed onto the host and a customer he was escorting. The majority of the food landed on top of the customer causing her to cry out as she jumped to her feet and quickly wiped the food off of her.

"Signora, forgive me," the waiter stammered as he tried to help his boss to his feet and clean the woman at the same time.

"I'll be alright," the woman said.

_"Michelle?!"_ Brandt's confused and surprised voice whispered in Jane's ear.

Jane wasn't sure what to do.

"Oh no!" Michelle cried out as she placed a long bag on a table. She tried to cover the small open space, but it was clear that there was already food inside of the bag.

"Forgive us," the host said as quickly as he could while glaring as his employee. "This is our fault and we'll gladly pay whatever is damaged."

"No," Guillermo said, stepping further toward the little group. "I'm afraid this is Jack's fault."

The bodyguard didn't move a muscle or say a word.

"He pushed your employee. I will pay for whatever is damaged."

Michelle shook her head. "I couldn't ask you to do that," she said. "I should have brought this back to my hotel first."

Jack casually handed the host and waiter some money while Guillermo watched Michelle. She carefully cleaned the bag, trying to get everything off before opening it.

"This is all my fault," Guillermo said as he placed his hand on Michelle's. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You're saying that you meant for this to happen?" she teased.

He laughed. "No," he said. "But I do believe that this is Lady Fate. I try my best to pay attention with the most unusual of circumstances happen. Also, I did hire that man." He motioned toward his bodyguard who continued to pretend that nothing was happening.

"Seems like he was just doing his duty. I would hate that he got fired over this."

He laughed as if that were the most ridiculous thing he heard. "I can't put all the blame on him," he finally said. "I did get up rather in a hurry."

"I'm sorry if I'm keeping you from anything," she replied. "Honestly, it's alright." She turned her attention back to the bag and let out a groan when she revealed the content.

"That is an expensive dress," he said, ignoring her comment. "And where do you plan on wearing such a lovely item?"

She shifted uneasily. "Family reunion," she said. "A few nights from now. Figured I should look my best."

"Rather expensive dress for a family reunion," he commented. "I will have this dress cleaned and returned to you. If you will tell Jack here where you are staying we'll make sure to have this dress back to you by tonight."

Michelle hesitated, but it was clear he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She pulled out a card and handed it to Jack. "Just leave it at the front desk," she said. She looked at Guillermo still looking a little uncomfortable. "Thank you."

He smiled his most charming smile. "Can't leave it at the front desk without a name to go with it."

"Michelle Bradly."

"Miss Bradly, if you're not busy tomorrow, I do know of a party that is much more suiting for a dress such as this," he said in the sweetest voice he could muster.

She paused and bit her bottom lip before replying. "I have a boyfriend."

He laughed. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him. And besides, would he object to a friend taking you to a party? I promise, only as a friend. You intrigue me, Michelle Bradly. I want to know a little bit more about you."

She didn't answer.

"If you wish, you can even bring a family member or friend, or this boyfriend with you," he said sweeting the deal. It was clear that she was strongly contemplating it. "I have a couple extra tickets. Here." He reached his hand back and his bodyguard gave him a small business card. "This is my number. Call me tomorrow before five so that there is plenty of time to pick you up. This, my dear, is an opportunity of a lifetime. You may never get a chance like this."

She cocked her head. "Why?"

He laughed as Jack picked up the messy bag. "I hate to let tickets go to waste. And I would hate to see such a lovely dress wasted in a simple family reunion." He grabbed her hand and gently kissed it. "And we also can't ignore Lady Fate. Bad things happen when we do. You have time to think about it. I hope you will grace me with your company tomorrow night. Even if you bring your boyfriend." With that, he gracefully walked out of the restaurant.

"_Shit," _Minnie whispered.

Jane nodded in agreement.

~SL~

"No!" Will said again, shaking his head. "She's a civilian."

"Who is going to be in no danger," Minnie said. "There will be hundreds of people there."

"She's not a spy," Will said. "We can't train her in the space of a day. And even if we do convince her to go with it, doesn't mean she'll be able to pull it off."

"If she hadn't walked into that restaurant then we wouldn't be having this conversation," Minnie stated.

Will shook his head. "What? Am I supposed to know her every move?"

The two had been arguing for the past hour after they followed Michelle back to her hotel and set up their equipment in the hotel across the street from her. It had been nearly four hours since her brief encounter with Guillermo. After eating, Michelle had gone straight back to her hotel room, but that was nearly across town. No one of the team had said much at that time, each thinking hard on what their next move was going to be.

"Why don't we just drug her and use a mask?" Benji asked, almost too excited.

"No!" Will snapped. "We're not drugging my girlfriend."

"What do you have in mind, Will?" Jane asked. It was the first thing she had said in the past hour as both Minnie and Will argued. Benji had done his best to contribute, trying to find a middle ground, but got nowhere. Ethan, of course, had been quiet as he thought. "She's in with our mark. How about I go with her? Act like a friend."

"No. He knows your face, Jane," Ethan said, finally speaking. Benji let out a soft sigh of relief. He clearly had been waiting for Ethan to come up with something. The man always did. "We're going to have to use her," he said, looking straight at Will.

"No," Will said, shaking his head.

"Will, I understand your concerns, but I promise she'll be safe."

Will rubbed his face as he thought. "What's your plan, Ethan?" he asked, shaking his head at himself.

"She will contact you, right?"

He nodded his head.

"When she does, call her and talk to her. If she doesn't bring up this date then try to get her to confess to it. Then give her permission. If she doesn't speak about bringing someone along then mention it. Say you have a friend in town and that if she's uncomfortable he'll be more than happy to be there for her," Ethan paused for a moment allowing someone to ask the obvious question with the obvious answer.

"Which one of us will go? Will it be me?" Benji asked extremely excited.

Ethan shook his head. "I promise, Will. I will keep an eye on her and make sure that she's safe."

"And why can't he do it?" Benji asked, pointing to Will.

Will scratched his forehead then sat on the bed and let out a sigh. "Because if I show up then it'll be suspicious. Jane too. He's seen Jane. It won't matter if she's at the party because he'll guess that she met someone else to take her."

"I can go if you want," Minnie said softly.

Ethan shook his head. "It has to be me," he said. Will nodded at that.

"She needs to agree to this tonight," Minnie said, returning to her commanding voice. "You have to convince her."

"Let me check my email," Will said, slightly ignoring Minnie.

Ethan moved to the far end of the room, closer to the door and away from everyone else and leaned against the wall. Minnie and Benji started to discuss a way to wire Michelle and keeping her clueless about it. Will moved closer to the window while searching his email for her information. There was an inner battle being fought and it was clear that he wasn't happy about what he was going to do.

"Is this wise?" Jane asked softly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"There's nothing else we can do," Ethan said.

"You always come up with something," Jane said. "Is this really the only plan you can think of? What if she doesn't agree to go?"

"She will agree," he said firmly. "She has too. I've thought of everything. This is the only way I can think of getting us inside. Will won't have time to find an invitation when he gets there. He'll need backup. Michelle and I will go. I'll see the invitation and Benji will make a perfect copy for you. We all get in and out."

Jane frowned. "It's the out part that I'm worried about. What if we have to run? You walked in with her. They'll think she's…"

"No," Ethan interrupted her. "I'll make sure that they know she isn't a part of this."

Jane let out a sigh. "I hope things go as well as we plan them this time."

Ethan nodded in agreement. "I'm going for a jog," he said as he opened the door and walked out of the hotel room.

~SL~

Will stared at the hotel number that Michelle had left in the email to him. His right hand clutched his cellphone, but he couldn't bring himself to put in the numbers. Ethan was asking a lot from him. Not only asking him to use his girlfriend as a means to an end. But also Will realized that this was an unofficial test, in which Michelle could fail horribly in. What if he called her and talked to her and she never mentions her meeting with Guillermo? What if he can't bring it out of her and she goes? He wouldn't be able to look at her the same way. He would break up with her and she wouldn't even know why. He wouldn't be able to confront her about her lies.

He let out a short breath as he dialed the numbers. "Room fifty-seven please," he said as soon as someone picked up. There was no going back now. The phone rang once before he heard her voice.

"_Hello_?"

"Hey, babe," he said a little too stiffly.

"_Hey, are you alright?"_

He let out a loud sigh. "Yeah, just a little tired. And missing you, of course."

She giggled at that, making his smile. "_Work making you tired? I wish you were here. This hotel room is so lonely. But then again. Maybe you'd be too tired to have some fun," _she teased.

"I'm never too tired for that."

She laughed. "_Anything you want to talk about?"_

"Naw, would rather have you talk to me. How was your day? First time in Rome?" he asked.

She paused, immediately making him tense. Then he heard her groan. "_Aw. Will. If you were here you probably could have stopped me. I spent four hundred dollars on a dress I'm only going to wear once," _she paused. "_Or twice. Depending."_

"What do you mean?"

_"My family," _she paused again, "_well they're kind of rich. And when I go to these reunions I tend to feel a little left out. So I decided that I was going to pretend that I'm fine and so I bought this dress. And it cost way more than I should have spent. I mean, it's like four hundred dollars. Which I guess for some people isn't that much, but… You know me. I, me, Michelle, spent four hundred dollars on a dress I'm only going to wear once, maybe twice."_ She let out an exasperated sigh.

"What do you mean twice?" he asked, thankful that she gave him the segue. Then he tensed. It was the moment of truth.

"_Oh, well, it's a part of the story. So after I bought the dress I went to this restaurant to eat. In hindsight, I should have dropped off the dress at the hotel, but I was hungry and my hotel is a bit far. When I was being escorted to my table this whole mess happened in which food got spilled over my four hundred dollar dress! Luckily, this guy who pretty much started the mess is having my dress clean. Or stealing it. Oh god, I hope that doesn't happen."_

"And?"

She paused. "_He said there was a party he was going to tomorrow. Invited me to go."_

"As a date?" He had to ask the question. It would come off as odd if he didn't.

"_I don't know,"_ she replied. "_At first I thought that. I told him that I had a boyfriend. But then he said not as a date. He just wanted me to enjoy the party. Seems suspect. He said that I could bring anyone in my family, but since I'm not close to anyone I don't think I'm going."_

"Like, a Richie Rich type party?"

She laughed. "_I guess. I don't know. But don't worry. It does intrigue me, but if you don't want me to go."_

"You should go," he was surprised by how calm his voice was.

"_Really?" _she asked in surprise.

"Yeah. You know. I actually have a friend who is in Rome on business. Don't worry, he's a great guy. I can give him a call and then call you back and tell you if he can go. He loves those types of parties. But he's a great guy. He'll protect you. I trust him." Will wanted to bang his head against the window. He felt as if he were rambling.

"_Oh?" _she asked. He heard the sound of a knock on her door and heard her grunt as she got up. "_I'll be right there!" _She shouted. "_What's his name?"_

"Ethan," he said. "Ethan Hunt."

"_Ethan," _she breathed softly. As if the name surprised her.

"Babe?" he asked after a brief second of silence.

"_Uh uh... __Sorry," _she quickly replied. "_Hold on, Will. Umm… thank you so much. I can't believe it was finished so quickly. Just a minute." _She addressed whoever was at the door. "_Sorry, Will. One of those hotel staff is here with my dress. Can you talk to your friend? I would greatly appreciate it if he would be available. I didn't realize just how lovely this dress is."_

Will nodded his head before answering. "Sure. You going to be in your hotel room all night?"

"_Yeah."_

"Then I'll call you later. Bye."

"_Bye. And don't worry and get some rest. You don't have to call me tonight. Just call me tomorrow. I don't have any plans."_

"Okay." He didn't want to press the end button, but forced his finger and slowly set the phone down. He wanted to erase the conversation that just happened. She was a civilian and it was possible that they were bringing her into a lion's den. Out of everyone that Will knew Ethan was the man to trust with his life or anyone's life. Still, it was hard for him to put her life in danger. After all, Will knew what he had gotten himself into. Michelle had no idea what was going to happen.

But then maybe, just maybe, tomorrow's plan would go perfectly. They'd find the location of Doctor O'Connor. And Michelle would return to her hotel room safe and sound and none the wiser.

Will let out a snort at that thought. They were the posterboys for Murphy's Law. Anything that could go wrong would go wrong. Still, there was a small sliver of hope that just maybe Luck would be on their side tomorrow and everything would be fine.


End file.
